Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)

Experts at PAT Inspection for
Homeowners and Businesses

Portable appliance testing, usually referred to as PAT inspection, is a comprehensive way to check your electrical equipment to ensure that it is safe for your business and employees.
Boxall Engineering, an electrical engineering firm specialising in PAT inspection, provides one-off testing, as well as scheduled testing programmes for your establishment.
We have been offering engineering services to clients since 1935. From a family run business, we have grown to be an established, well-reputed organisation by delivering excellent service in our client projects over the years.

Our Guarantee

Over 80 years experience

Unrivaled experience

An exceptional service

Unbeatable value for money

Industry-approved installers

A full range of electrical services

Professional, reliable and diligent

100% safety and satisfaction

Are you organising a PAT test?

Are you looking to have your electrical system checked? You are best off with a highly-experienced engineering firm. We provide comprehensive electrical testing services for business and tenanted properties. Our engineers will be happy to offer consultation services and provide solutions for your project. TA Boxall aims to deliver the best PAT service for all its clients, and help them to fulfil safety requirements for electrical equipment installation and use.

Service excellence and professionalism

Wherever your business is, we can provide you with our professional PAT services. At TA Boxall, we understand that companies expect service excellence, which is why we keep our costs as competitive as possible while maintaining professionalism through every process.

We provide peace of mind and value for money. WE are proud of the fact that we have many customers who have been with us for years, and that our new business referral rates from happy customers are some of the best in the industry.

Services: What we do

Visual inspection

To start with, our engineers carry out a preliminary visual inspection. This includes checking for damaged flexes, plugs and equipment. Our tests aim to uncover signs of overheating, burn marks and discolouration.

Our inspection also identifies any incorrectly wired plugs and rated fuses. We immediately resolve any issues, as any delays could prove dangerous.

Polarity test

A polarity test is one that is carried out with a tester to determine whether the ‘hot’ and neutral ends of the plugs are connected to their appropriate terminals in the socket. The polarity test is performed on Class I appliances during the earth continuity. As per BS7671 standards in the UK, the ‘hot’ cable should connect with the right-hand side (RHS) socket terminal.

Earth continuity testing

This is carried out for Class I appliances. The objective of this test is to ensure that there is a proper connection between the plug’s earth pin and the appliance case. A good connection is described as one with a resistance below 0.1 ohms (or 100 milli-ohms).

The earth continuity test may also be called the earth bond test or earth resistance test. In summary, the tests check to make sure the mains plug and the earth point are properly connected. After the test, if we identify a result less than 0.1 ohms, and all’s good otherwise, we correct the connection to prevent any issues.

Insulation resistance

This test is performed on Class I and Class II appliances. The reason for insulation resistance is to make sure that there is sufficient insulation between the live components of the appliance and the user-contact metal parts. Sufficient insulation is when Class I appliances have 1 M ohm rating, and Class II have 2 M ohm rating.

If these results are positive and correct after a test, then insulation is adequate, and they are considered safe to use. However, it is essential to connect the test probe to all metallic parts of the Class II appliance, and this may be considered as multiple tests.

Earth leakage test

An earth leakage test (or protective conductor measurement), may be thought of as a substitute for the insulation test. It is done to identify a breakdown of insulation in an appliance.

For example, faulty insulation on a Class I appliance, such as a toaster, will have current flowing to the touchable areas of the case.

This can shock an unsuspecting user and must be corrected immediately.

Additional tests

Electrical equipment is usually grouped into classes. After understanding the class of your equipment, we conduct a series of additional tests. These include:

Contact us today to see how

About TA Boxall

Trust

Happy clients mean we receive lots of positive word of mouth recommendations, which also means our partners’ reputations are under scrutiny when we act on their introductions. Our willingness to share our expertise and product knowledge within our partners’ organisations helps create a mutually beneficial working relationships and reciprocates that trust.

Reputation

We pay attention to detail. Our proven industry-leading expertise and strong focus on safety, regulation and accreditation are all key factors when choosing Boxall Engineering. Clients often invite us to get involved early in their project design to help minimise costly design oversights.

Our History

Established in 1935, a small family engineering firm has evolved into a successful multi million pound business, providing a wide range of products and services to local enterprises and large multi nationals alike. Every client enjoys and benefits from the same focused delivery approach ensuring that each and every job is completed to the highest standards

Quality

With over 80 years experience of delivering quality service and solutions to our clients, we always seek to enhance not just our reputation, but our partners’ too. Service and quality underpin everything that we do. Experience counts.

Contact us today to see how

Why conduct PAT inspections on your appliances?

As landlords and organisations rent properties and hire employees respectively, it is their obligation to provide them with safe conditions in the environment they live or work in. Regular PAT will not only save lives, but money in the long run, as health bills, repairs, and even law suits, can be averted by timely interventions.

Some common questions customers ask are:

How often should I perform a PAT?

This will depend on your organisation’s risk assessment policy and maintenance schedule. If you don’t have one, we can help you to develop a schedule. However, testing must be done at least once or twice every year depending on the class of the appliance.

Contact us today to see how

Will the testing disrupt regular work schedules?

As part of our company policy, we aim to minimise disruption wherever our engineers work. This means that we only disconnect appliances when we want to test them, so employees and tenants can go about their regular routine.

Why Choose TA Boxall Engineering?

At TA Boxall, more than 80% of our clients retain our services after the first project for the following reasons.

Stellar reputation

Our staff are widely known for their diligence, care and quality of operation. We pay attention to details and are not afraid to go the extra mile for our clients. We put safety at the centre of our client’s services.

Trust

Because of our transparent and fair business conduct, our clients trust us to handle their subsequent projects. Our inclination towards shared expertise and product knowledge with partner organisations mean that we get a lot of recommendation from satisfied customers.

Quality

Service excellence is something every business must provide if they are to delight their customers. At TA Boxall Engineering, quality and customer safety are the backbone of our operation. With more than 80 years of experience in engineering services, we have mastered what it takes to provide excellent services for our clients, and we maintain that consistently.

Just a few words to thank you for the excellent service over the last eight weeks. As you know, we were let down at the last minute so thank you for stepping up and saving the project from disaster! Thanks for the electrical work, the project management and even for Peter coming out to site and checking everything worked in advance of our arrival. Much appreciate. Best regards.

Cassie Weston – Premium Labs

I have used Boxall for many years and have always received great service. It is the personal attention to detail that the engineers always provide that makes this a great company to work with. Nothing is too much trouble and they always leave our operations clean and tidy. Thanks everyone.

James King-Smith – Local infrastructure provider

Established in 1935, a small family engineering firm has evolved into a successful multi million pound business, providing a wide range of products and services to local enterprises and large multi national corporations alike.